Recycling and Waste Management in Sweden

Hej Carinna, Good question, probably will be useful to many others too. Let us do this as a point by point description.     

1. You start at your residence with separate collection "Källsortering". You can use your own buckets or buy one of these  https://www.ikea.com/se/sv/p/hallbar-av … s39308923/ Not necessarily from Ikea, others sell those too.

Källsortering or separate collection is you put different waste in different buckets plastic, metal, bottles, paper and so on. The side of the packing of every item you buy in Sweden it is marked which waste category it belongs to.

2. Kitchen leftovers is called matavfall It goes to a separate bin. It is very important that not to mix it with other waste because kitchen leftovers utilize to produce biogas. There are special paper bags for this purpose which giving out for free.
Normally with direct access to every building there is a garbage room soprum where you put your kitchen leftover bag into the right marked container.

3. All other waste that you have separated to different buckets you put in different other containers which also are clearly marked even with symbols, at the same place there is a small container for used batteries.
Those containers are placed in a specific place called Återvinningsstation recycling station. Normally you may have to walk more or less 50 to 100 meters away from your building to reach it.

All containers have a standard color which is green.

4. Many bottles and cans can be deposited into a deposit machine in any normal size store. On the label of bottle or can it is stated if it is depositable and how much it is worth.   

5. There is a place called Återvinningscentral recycling center in every area from a distance of the residence area that you need a vehicle to get there (one of the biggest hypocritical changes they did. For some time ago there was a special room in every building for this). Electronic waste and other big waste such as furniture, carpets  etc. basically everything go to Återvinningscentral, they give cute names to those in different kommuner. You will find where it is located and business hours from the kommun website, in some kommuner you get your own access card to enter it.

Above description applies if you live in an apartment (rental or bought), terraced house or other terraced house type called Kedjehus. In your rent or the monthly fee (if you have bought the apartment) cost for everything mentioned above is included. If it is a villa procedure is somewhat different and so is the cost.

I also found some information in English from Hässleholm kommun and from deposit center here they are..
https://www.hassleholmmiljo.se/fileadmi … a_webb.PDFhttps://pantamera.nu/om-oss/returpack-in-english/

Hello Finnbar

Many thanks for responding in such a comprehensive way to my inquiry, offering all the reliable information needed for household waste management in Sweden.

Highly useful and helpful for planning and organising accordingly.

With appreciation for your thoroughness and time investment in educating myself (and possibly others too) with necessary and detailed information.

Grateful for your contribution.

Carinna